Protective system for series capacitors



1951 R. E. MARBURY ETAL 2,571,910

PROTECTIVE SYSTEM FOR SERIES CAPACITORS Filed Aug. 19, 1948 y 2 ll 5 h u 9 Ti l I. TJ'LML; is l3 WlTNESSESi INVENTORS Ralph E. Marbury 8 {W M Henry A. Travers.

i fiw BY? ATTORN Y Patented Oct. 16, 1951 PROTECTIVE SYSTEM FOR SERIES CAPACITORS Ralph E. Marbury and Henry A. Travers, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 19, 1948, Serial No. 45,015

6 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to the protection of series capacitors in alternating current lines and, more particularly, to a series capacitor installation for high-voltage synchronous transmission systems in which system stability is a primary, or limiting, consideration in the operation of the system.

Capacitors are connected in series in alternating current distribution and transmission lines to neutralize part or all of the inductive reactance of the line, in order to improve the voltage regulation or to raise the stability limit, or power limit, of the line. Since the capacitor is in series with the line and carries the line current, the voltage across the capacitor is proportional to the line current, and under fault conditions, or other excess-current conditions, the voltage across the capacitor may rise to many times its normal value. Standard capacitor units can safey be subjected to voltages of the order of 150% of the normal voltage for brief periods, but cannot be subjected to voltages in excess of 200% of the normal voltage, even momentarily, without the probability of damage. It is not economically practical to use capacitors which are capable of withstanding the maximum voltage to which they may be subjected under fault conditions, since the cost of a capacitor increases approximately as the square of the voltage for which it is insulated. It is necessary, therefore, to provide protective means for series capacitors which will by-pass the capacitor substantially instantaneously upon the occurrence of a fault, that is, in the first half-cycle of fault current. Because of this requirement of substantially instantaneous operation, spark gaps are usually used for protection of series capacitors, the gap being connected across the capacitor so as to by-pass it immediately upon the occurrence of a voltage in excess of the value for which the gap is set.

The protective systems used with series capacitors which are connected in distribution lines, for the primary purpose of improving the voltage regulation, usually include a switch or contactor for by-passing both the gap and the capacitor as soon as the gap has broken down, to extinguish the arc in the gap and to relieve it from the heating caused by continued arcing. The switch is opened to restore the capacitor to service when the current has fallen below a predetermined value, or after the lapse of a. time interval which is long enough to permit the fault to be cleared. This type of protective system is entirely satis factory for series capacitors in distribution lines where the primary purpose is to improve the voltage regulation, and there is no necessity for rapid restoration of the capacitor to service after a fault.

When series capacitors are used in high-voltage synchronous transmission systems, however, where system stability is a primary or limiting consideration in the operation of the system, and where the series capacitor is installed for the primary purpose of raising the stability limit, to increase the amount of power that can be transmitted over the line, the problem of providing a satisfactory protective system i much more diifi cult. The capacitor must be by-passed substantiall intantaneously upon the occurrence of a fault, as explained above, and it is therefore removed from the line during fault conditions when the stability problem is most acute. For this reason, the protective system used with the series capacitor must operate to restore the capacitor to service very rapidly after the fault is cleared, that is, within a few cycles, so that the capacitor will be available to assist in maintaining stability during the critical transient conditions immediately following the fault. The difficulty involved in restoring the capacitor to service immediately after a fault is cleared, with sufficient speed to make the capacitor available at the time it is most needed, has been the chief factor which has retarded the application of series capacitors to high-voltage synchronous transmission systems, although the benefits 01 series capacitors in such systems have long been realized.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a series capacitor installation for high-voltage alternating current synchronous transmission systems, in which the capacitor is lay-passed substantially instantaneously under fault conditions, or other excess-current conditions, and in which the capacitor is restored to service very rapidly following the clearing of the fault, so as to be available for maintaining stability during the critical period immediately following the fault.

Another object of the invention is to provide a protective system for series capacitors which bypasses the capacitor substantially instantaneously under excess-current conditions, and which restores the capacitor to service, within a few cycles after the current has fallen below a predetermined value.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protective system for series capacitors which utilizes a gap device to by-pass the capacitor provided with a protective system l2. 7 tective systems 12 of all three capacitors are identical, and the protective system has been cuit breaker as soon as the gapbreaks down and fault current flows in the by-pass circuit, and for completin the tripping'circuit' to open the breaker as soon as the current in the-by-pass circuit has fallen below a predetermined value,

thus interrupting the by-pass circuit and restoring' the capacitor to service-very rapidly after the fault is cleared. The circuit breaker is immediately reclosed after operation, to again-connect the spark gapdevice across the capacitor,

and an auxiliary spark gap device-is connected across the circuit breaker to provide protection for the capacitor in case a second fault occurs -during the short time that the'breaker is open. Preferably, additional slower-acting relay means are also provided to effect tripping of the breaker -'if the main spark gap device should are over on a momentary voltage surge under normal current conditions which would not actuate the "first-mentioned relay means. 7

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description. taken in connection with the accompanyin drawing,- the single figure "of whichis a schematic diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

The protective systemof the present invention isshown in the drawing embodied in a' series capacitor installation in a three-phase two-circuit, high-voltage,alternating current synchro- "nous transmission system. The series capacitor is shown as being connected in' the system at I an intermediate station: between the paralleliline "sections land '2, which are connected to a'stationbus 3, and'the paralleliline-sec'tions 4-andi5, #which'areaconne'ctedto a station bus 6. The wcapacitors l,'8 and-'9 are connected 'between the wcorresponding phases of the-buses Sand-6, so

that they are connected in series in .theline.

:Each of the-capacitors -isprovidedwith a by pass disconnecting switch -Ill,--. and isolating discon- .necting switches ll, so-thatethe capacitors can 1 baby-passed and-isolated from-theline-topermit inspection and maintenance-.of the capacitors withsafety. The-capacitors], Band .9 are shown diagrammaticallyas single capacitors, but it will .be understoodth-at inanactual installation each of them. willcomprise arelatively. large number .of. individual capacitor units connected. inparallel, or series-parallel, to provide .the necessary capacitive. reactance to cancel. all,. or at least a substantial, part, of the inductive reactance of the line.

Since thecapacitors I, 8 and 9 are connected in series in the line, they must be protected against over-voltage under fault conditions, or other excess-current conditions, as explained above, and for this purpose, each capacitor'is The proshown in detail only for the capacitor 9, it being understood that the same system is provided for each of the other two capacitors, as shown diagrammatically.

The protective system l2 includes a main protectivez spark gap device [3, which-is connected in'a by-pass' circuit l4 across the series capacitor 9. The spark gap device 13 may be any suitable type of gap device which is capable of main- -l0 taining= a: stable are which restrikes promptly after each current zero, and which is not damaged by the heating resulting from continued arcing. "The'gap'device is preferably of a type having" massive" carbon electrodes, and is shown lo jdiagrammatic'allyas being of the type disclosed and claimed in a copendin application of J. B. -Owens'; Serial No'; 631,397, filed November 28, 1945, now Patent No. 2,462,219, issued February 22, 1949, and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. A gap device of this type has a hollow upper electrode and a cylindrical lower "electrode extending up into the-upper electrode, so th'at'the arcis confined within the electrodes and "is p'ositionedso that themagnetic forces *acting on it tend to keep it centered between the electrodes. Such a gap is capable of maintaining a continued discharge without damage and without permitting excessive voltage peaks to occur.

The by-pass circuit l lalso includes a circuit breaker l5 connected in series with the gap device IS. The circuit breaker i5 is normally "closed andis shown as having a trip coil IE and 'a-closingcoil 11. The circuit breaker [5 has an 5auxiliary'contact l8, connected in series with thetrip coil l6, which is closed when the'bre'aker 'isclosed, and it has auxiliary contacts l9 and'Zil which are open'when the breaker is closed. 'A

damping resistor 2| may also be connected in seriesinthe by-pass circuit M, if desired, to

limit the *magnitude of the discharge current *from the "capacitor 9, which flows in the by-pass --circuit l4 when the gap 13 breaks down, and to "dampthe' oscillations of the capactior' discharge current.

"The circuit breaker I5 is controlled by means er a current responsive relay 22'and' a latch-type relay 23. "The current'relay '22 has an operating 'coil 26-whichis energized in response to the ourrent in'the' by=pass circuit 14' by means of a current transformer 25. "The relay 22 has amov- 'able-contact'member 26 whichbridges station- "ary 'contacts 21 when the relay is in its deener- "gizedposition, shown in the drawing, and which 'bridges stationary contacts 28 when the relay is energized. "The latch-type relay 23 may be of "any suitable type which is adapted to close its contact'29 when its operating coil 33 is ener- 'giz'ed and which is' latched, or otherwise held, in the energized position until it'is' released. A

reset coil3l' is shown for releasing the relay 23.

' 'lhe operating'coil 3!] ofthe' latching relay 23 is connected in'series with'thenormally open con- 'tacts"28 of the relay 22. "The normally closed conta'cts'flbfthe relay 22 andthe contact 29 of "the relay 23 are connected'in series to the trip "coil" ltof'the' circuit breaker l5. The reset "coil '3l or the relay 23 is connected to the auxiliary "contact l9of'thecircuit breaker I5.

"The operation of the'protective system. asso far"'described,is as follows. Under normal con- 'd-itions,the circuit breaker l5 is'close'd to connect *themain spark gap de'vice I3"directly across the "series capacitor, and'the relays22 and 23 are in 75' their deenergizedpositions, as shown in the draw dition, the voltage across the series capacitor 9 rises, and the spark gap device I3 break down when the voltage reaches the value for which it is set, which may, for example, be of the order of 200% of the normal full load voltage across the capacitor 9. As soon as the gap I3 breaks down and by-passes the capacitor 3, the fault current flows through the bypass circuit I4, and the capacitor 9 is thus protected against the overvoltage which would otherwise occur across it.

'The heavy fault current flowing in the by-pass circuit I4 energizes the coil 24 of the relay '22, through the current transformer 25, and causes the relay to pick up, closing the contacts 28 and opening the contacts 21. When the contact 28 close, a circuit is completed for energizing the coil 30 of the latching relay 23, which picks up and closes its contact 29 and is latched in that position.

As soon as the fault occurs, the protective devices of the transmission line operate to clear it, usually by switching out the faulted line sect on and then reclosing the line circuit breakers. When the faulted line section is switched out, or the fault is otherwise cleared, the current in the by-pass, c rcuit I4 decreases, and when it falls below a predetermined va ue for which the relay '22 is set. which may be of the order of the normal full load current or somewhat higher, the relay 22 drops out and closes its contacts 21. It will be seen that this completes a circuit through the contact 29 of the latching relay 23 to the trip coil I6 of the circuit breaker I5 and trips the breaker to cause it to open. The breaker I5is preferably des gned so as to open very rapidly a ter energization of the trip coil I6 and thus the by-pass circuit is interrupted within a few cycles after the fau t has been cleared to restore the capacitor to service, so that it will be available to assist in mainta ning stability during the critical transient conditions immediately following the fault.

When the circuit breaker I5 opens, the auxiliary contact completes a circuit for energizing the closin coil I'I, so that the breaker is immediately reclosed as soon as it has opened, to again connect the gap I3 direct y across the capacitor. The auxiliary contact I9 of the circuit breaker I5 completes a circuit to energize the reset coil 3I of the latching relay 23 as soon as the breaker o ens, so that the relay 23 is allowed to drop out to its deenergized position in readiness for another operation.

Thus, the protective system operates to bypass the series capacitor substantially instantaneously upon the occurrence of a fault, or other excess-current, and to interrupt the by-pass circuit and restore the capacitor to service very rapidly after the fault has been cleared.

The circuit breaker I 5 is preferably designed so that it operates very rapidly, and its operation I will usually be faster than that of the line breakers, so that the breaker I5 will normally reclose before the breakers of the faulted line section reclose. If, for any reason, the breaker I5 should not complete its closing movement until after the line breakers have reclosed, and if the fault is still in existence, or if a second fault should occur on another line section during the short time that the breaker is open, the capacitor 9 might be damaged, since it would be unprotected while the breaker I5 is open. To prevent this possibility, an auxiliary spark gap 32 is connected acrossthe breaker I5. The gap 32 is preferably of the same type as the main spark gap I3, but may be set to have a lower breakdown voltage. A resistor 33 is preferably connected across the gap 32.

It will be seen that when the circuit breaker I5 is open, the gap 32 and resistor 33 are in the bypass circuit in series with the main gap I3, and because of the presence of the resistor 33 substantially all the voltage across the series capacitor is applied to the gap I3. If an excess voltage appears across the capacitor 9 while the breaker I 5 is open, therefore, the gap I3 will break down. The current in the by-pass circuit will then cause a high voltage drop across the resistor 33 which will break down the gap 32 to protect the capacitor. As soon as the breaker I5 completes its closing operation, of course, it shortcircuits the gap 32 and extinguishes the arc in it, so that the current is transferred to the breaker I5 in the main by-pass circuit. The subsequent operations of tripping and reclosing the breaker, when the current decreases to the predetermined value, then follow as described above. It willbe understood that the resistor 33 is not necessarily essential, since the gap 32 alone may.

be connected across the breaker I5 to provide protection while the breaker is open, but it is preferred to use the resistor 33 to obtain a lower breakdown voltage, which will be essentially that of the gap I3. If the resistor were not used, the capacitor 9 would not be protected until the voltage across it reached the combined breakdown voltages of the two gaps I3 nd 32.

It may sometimes happen that the gap device I3 will be flashed over by a momentary voltage surge, such as a lightning surge or a switching transient, under normal current conditions, and if this occurs, the gap I3 may continue to are but the breaker I5 would not be operated, since normal line current flowing in the by-pass circuit I4 would not be high enough to actuate the relay 22. Thus, the capacitor 9 would be by-passed, and the gap I3 might be damaged by long-continued arcing. To avoid this undesirable condition, a slow-acting relay 34 is provided. This relay has been shown as a time delay relay, as indicated diagrammatically by the dashpot 35, but it is to be understood that it is not necessarily provided with a definite time delay means but may be any suitable type of relay which operates more slowly than the relay 22. The slow-acting relay 34 has a coil 36 which is energized from the current transformer 25, and which may be connected either in series with the coil 24 of the relay 22, as shown, or in parallel with the coil 24. The relay 34 has anormally open contact 31 which is connected in series with the coil 30 of the latching relay 23.

If the gap I3 should are over on a momentary voltage surge and continue arcing under normal current conditions, with a current in the by-pass circuit I4 which is too low to operate the relay 22, the relay 34, which is adjusted to respond to a considerably lower current than the relay 22, will pick up and close its contact 31, if the current flow in the by-pass circuit I4 continues for more than a relatively short time. When the relay 34 picks up and closes its contact 31, a circuit is completed for energizing the coil 30 of the latching relay 23, which picks up and closes its contact 29. Since the contacts 21 of the relay 22 are closed at this time, closing of the latching relay contact 29 completes the tripping circuit and energizes the trip coil I6 of the circuit breaker I5 7 to :trip .the f breaker vandiinterrupt: the: bypass circuit, thus extinguishing 'thearcjn .the, gap 13. :Thehreakeris .thenreclosed and: the latching re- ;layiiitresetjn zthecmanner previously described.

It should now be apparent thatarpro-tective system: has? been provided :"for series capacitors connected-in high-voltage; synchronous transmission systems, for thew-purpose of increasing the stability limits .of thesystem, which operates to effectively protect the capacitor from:::over- "voltages, and which also operatesfto restore-the :capacitor -:to* serve very rapidly after a :faultrhas been cleared, so :thatthecapacitorzis availableto assist in maintaining stability during the transient --:conditions immediately following the .fault when ..the stability problem is most critical; and the series capacitoris most needed. It will-be understood, of course, that various. modificationsmay ibermade, within the scope of the invention,;and -thatothercontrol orprotective features-may be -added,:if necessary or desirable. Thus, a-aby-pass :circuit breaker :38 may be connected acrossathe capacitor 9,. and: controlled either-manually-or automatically in any desired manner-toremove the capacitor from service when-it is .desired 21:0 do so. The slow-acting relay 34-maybe omitted, ifdesired, although'it is usually a desirablefeature.

A preferred embodiment-of the-invention has been shown and described, for the purpose of ries with saidspark gap device, an auxiliary spark 5,

"gap device-connected directly acrosssaid'circuit breaker' so as to'be in series with the first-menitiOIlQd spark gap device, means responsive-mour- -rent flowing through the'first-mentioned' spark gap device for efiecting opening of: the "circuit breaker after said current hasfallen: below--a predetermined value, andmeans for immed-i-ately thereafter efiecting reclosing of the circuit breaker.

2. A series capacitor installationtfor-analter- :nating current line, comprising a capacitor, means for connecting said capacitor-inaseries in the line, a spark gap device connected across the capacitor and adapted to break down and by pass the capacitorunder excess-current. conditions, a:

;norma11y--closedcircuit breaker connected; in? se rice with said spark gap device, an auxiliary-spark ,gap device connected. directly across. said circuit breaker so as to be inseries withthe first-i-mentinned spark gap device, a resistor-connected across the auxiliary spark gap device,means-responsive to, current flowing throughfithe first- ;mentioned spark gap device-for efiecting opening of the circuit breaker. after said current has fallen below a predetermined value, and means for'immediately thereafterefiecting'reclosing of 'thecircuit breaker.

. 3. A series capacitor 'installationforcan'alternating current line, comprising. a capacitor, -means I for connecting :said capacitonin: seriesrin .the line;=:a :spark gap device iconnectedin a bypass circuitaround the capacitor and.:-adapted to'breakdown and complete theby-pass circuit under excess-current conditions, a normallyclosed circuit breaker connected in-seriesinisaid ,by-pass circuit, a firstrelay responsive-to current in the-by-pass circuit, a second relay 1 adapted when energized to prepare a tripping circuitiior said'circuitbreaker andto remain in energized position, said'first relay being adapted to effect :energizationof thesecond relay in response .to current in-the by-pass circuit in excess of a-predetermined value andbeing adapted to-complete saidtripping circuit to efi'ect opening of the circuit breaker'when the current in the by-pass circuit falls below a lower predetermined alue, and means for immediately thereafter efiecting 'reclosing of'the circuit breaker and restoringithe second'relay to non-energized position.

- 4. A series capacitor installation for an alternating current line, comprising a capacitor, means for connecting said capacitor in series in thexline; a spark gap device connected in a bypasscircuit around the capacitor and adapted to'break down and- 'cornplete the'by-pass circuit under excess-current conditions, a normallyclosed circuit breaker connected in series insaid by-pass circuit, an auxiliary spark gap-device connected directly across saidcircuit breaker --so as to-be in series with'the first-mentioned spark gap device, relay meansresponsive to currentin "the by-pass circuit, said relay meansbeing adapted rto-"efiect preparation of atripping circuit for saidcircuit breaker in response to currentin-the 'by-pass circuit in excess of apredetermined value and being adapted to complete said-trippin'gci-r- 'cuit' to effect opening of the circuit breaker-when the current in the by-passcircuit"fallsbelowa lower predetermined'va'lue, andmeans 'forim-me- "'diatelythereafter effecting reclosing of the circuit breaker.

5. A series capacitor installation for 'an' alternating "current line, comprisinga' capacitor, means for connecting said capacitor inseries'in the line, a'spark gap device connected in' a bypass'circuit' around the capacitor and adapted to break down and completethe by-pass circuit under "excess-current conditions, a normally- "Closed; circuit" breaker connected in series in said by-pass circuit, an' auxiliaryspark gap device connected directly across said circuit breaker so as to be in series with the first-mentioned spark gap device, a resistor connected across said auxiliary spark'gap device, relay means responsive to current in the by-pass circuit, said relay means being adapted to effect preparation of atripping circuit for said circuit breaker in response to current in the by-pass circuit in excess of a pre determined value and beingadapted to complete said tripping circuit to effect opening of the oil'- cuit breaker when the current in the by-passcircuit falls below a lower predetermined value, and means for immediately thereafter.efiectingmclosing of the circuit breaker.

"6. A series capacitor installation for an alternating current line, comprising a capacitor, means for connecting said capacitor in series in the line, a spark gap device connected in. a bypass circuit around the capacitor. and. adapted to break down and complete the .by-pass circuit 'under excess-current conditions, a normallyclosed circuit breaker connected in series in said by-pass circuit, an auxiliary spark gap device connected across said circuit breaker, relay means responsive' to current in the by-pass circuit, said relay means being adapted to effect preparation of a tripping circuit for said circuit breaker in response to current in the by-pass circuit in excess of a predetermined value and being adapted to complete said tripping circuit to effect opening of the circuit breaker when the current in the by-pass circuit falls below a lower predetermined value, slow-acting relay means for effecting opening of the circuit breaker in response to continued current flow in the by-pass circuit below the value required to actuate the first-mentioned relay means, and means for effecting reclosing of the circuit breaker immediately after it opens.

RALPH E. MARBURY. HENRY A. TRAVERS.

" REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,072,717 Marbury Mar. 2, 1937 2,144,503 Marbury Jan. 17, 1939 2,345,590 Evans et a1 Apr. 4, 1944 2,351,986 Ludwig et al. June 20, 1944 2,389,007 Strang et al Nov. 13, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 428,546 Germany May 10, 1926 161,163 Switzerland June 16, 1933 

